By Special to the NewsKick off the holiday season with the annual Christmas Tour of Homes in historic DeFuniak Springs on Saturday, Dec. 2. Filled with holiday splendor, the Tour runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m and features 16 beautiful homes, churches, and businesses.
The Tour of Homes kicks off a day-long series of festivities around Lake DeFuniak and its charming and vibrant downtown business district—a Main Street America community member.
Hosted by St. Agatha’s Episcopal Church, this year’s Christmas Tour of Homes highlights the historic preservation and restoration of private homes, commercial, and community buildings that are decorated in holiday loveliness.
Homes on the Tour are rich in history and represent various types of architecture and personalities—including the newly renovated Sun Bright Manor, the former Queen Anne style home of Florida’s twenty-second governor, Sidney J. Catts.
The First Presbyterian Church (circa 1884) and St. Agatha’s Episcopal Church (circa 1890) are also on the tour, along with St. Agatha’s Parish House and Vicarage—all located on Circle Drive around beautiful Lake DeFuniak.
The Carpenter Gothic-style St. Agatha’s Church will also hold an organ demonstration at 3 p.m. during the Tour. The only pure pipe organ in the city, St. Agatha’s mahogany pipe organ was hand-made and patterned after the Hadyn organ in England.
The self-guided Tour begins at the DeFuniak Springs Visitor’s Center at 1162 Circle Drive where visitors will be given a tour map with information on each property and the ongoing festivities around town during the day.
Reserved tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at www.bit.ly/DFS-TOH23. Tickets are also available the day of the Tour and can be purchased at the Visitor’s Center beginning at 9:30 a.m.
After the Christmas Tour of Homes, the merriment continues with the Merry Main Street Mistletoe Market, the Festival of Trees, and Christmas Reflections (a holiday tradition of over 10 million lights displayed around Lake DeFuniak).
Guests are also encouraged to visit the Walton-DeFuniak Library (the oldest operating library in the state of Florida dating back to 1887), the Walton County Heritage Museum (located in the former L&N railroad depot), and the historic Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood—all in the town’s historic district.
The Chautauqua Vineyards & Winery is another local attraction that any visitor to DeFuniak Springs must visit, located near the interstate.
Presented in partnership with Visit South Walton, the event benefits St. Agatha’s Episcopal Church’s preservation efforts of its three historic structures dating back to the late 1880s. The tour is also supported in part by Forward DeFuniak, Inc. and DeFuniak Landmarks, Inc.
For more information on the event, visit www.bit.ly/DFS-TOH23 or call 850-830-7663.
KINSLEY COOK 
Staff Report